flat battery won't charge

mike65

The car is hardly used these days (only for very short journeys) and the battery was dead, I trickle-charged it for 5 hours and it showed only 8 volts on the dashboard, I gave it another 5 hours today and still only about 8 volts, needless to say it wouldn't turn over. Is the battery done?

Owen

A proper charge/discharge cycle on a charger such as an optimate would take nearly 24 hours, but as it's only giving 8 volts, it's fit for the bin. A battery is made up of 6 cells. Even 6 depleted cells should be returning 11 volts-ish.

paulmcn

a trickle charge is only good for keeping a charged battery up, eg your car in storage. prob best remove the battery and charge it, check the cells arent low if there are caps.

CarMuppet

Compressed air help? Flat battery? Sorry it's a bank holiday....

Hi OP yeah the battery more than likely past it's sell by date. If its not charging it's time to recycle it.

NOTE: don't attempt to refill and recharge excessively. There is a slight possibly it may explode and remove layers from your face. Seriously.

Even after working with car batteries for years I'm always in awe of the amount of energy stored in them when things turn nasty...;)

mike65

Sounds like another 80 euro+ down the pan

CarMuppet

mike65 wrote: »

Sounds like another 80 euro+ down the pan

Crap . To be 100% sure you could lug the batter to a motor factors an have them test it out. Price around for batteries. I saw some for sale last Saturday in a local farmers co-op for less than my 'usual' motor factors. Depends on size of your enngine etc... Hope you get one for less than 80......

Best of luck,
CM

dr.fuzzenstein

'tis fooked

mike65

Just stuck a new battery in and now it won't start. It cranks and then dies no amount of throttle action will help - its an automatic

A6 1.8 20v non turbo 1996.

Any idea?

BronsonTB

Make sure connections are tight...same happened me and moved one of the connections & it then started...

Also make sure the new battery was charged....

kona

Sounds awfully like a crap earth. have a look at the battery earths and the engine earths, look for rust, fraying etc. How quick does the voltage drop when ya crank it?

mike65

Nah they are fine, I've posted on a VAG forum, someone reckons its an engine immobilizer fault, probably something that can be cleared with VAG-COM gizmo.

mike65

Slap me across the face and call me stupid, I just realised the immobiliser light is staying on when the key goes in the ignition. Right, at least I know what it is for sure.